Küat NV Base 2.0 Receiver Mount Bike Rack: The Solution for Transporting Your Public Safety E-Bike

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by Kirby Beck, PCI #002T/EMSCI #017T
Coon Rapids (MN) Police Department (retired)

Last year I “bit the bullet” and bought an e-Bike – a Giant Stance E+ 2 Power, if you’re curious. For the record, I love it. The full suspension bike is heavy, with a full-size Li-ion battery taking up the down tube, and the mid-drive Yamaha motor replacing the bottom bracket. As I was getting ready to bring it home the dealer looked at the bike rack on my car and warned me that, due to the extra weight of an e-Bike, many bike rack manufacturers don’t recommend transporting an e-Bike on them. My rack was a good quality, name brand, receiver hitch mount unit, but the portion that held the bikes could be folded down when not in use. It folded down in the same direction it would fail if it had too heavy a load. When I got home, I contacted the rack manufacturer to get their opinion on the weight issue. It was pretty clear they didn’t recommend using it with a heavy e-Bike. That rack had to go.

A few years ago, I was intrigued by a hitch mount bike rack I’d seen in an article. It was made by a new company called Küat. It looked like a sturdy hitch mount rack that secured the wheels/tires and didn’t touch the paint, the frame, or the bike itself. I immediately thought it would be dandy rack for the back of a patrol vehicle. It seemed easy to use, secure, and quick to mount and remove the bikes. I kept that Küat rack in the back of my mind, and I have seen some in use since then.

Realizing my rack had to go, I checked out Küat racks on their website (http://www.kuat.com). I saw two similar racks: the top end NV 2.0 and the NV Base 2.0. The specs on the less expensive NV Base 2.0 said that it could handle two bikes of up to 60 pounds (27.2 kg) each. That was well within the specs of my e-Bike. When comparing and contrasting the NV 2.0 and the NV Base 2.0, it appears the three biggest differences are 1) the NV Base 2.0 is all matte black, while the NV 2.0 offers the option of black and copper in addition to all-black; 2) the NV 2.0 has a built-in bicycle workstand for on-the-go repairs; and 3) the NV 2.0 is slightly more expensive. Neither is inexpensive, but quality IS worth it, after all, particularly when it comes to protecting an expensive bicycle. And both are high quality bike racks.

I purchased a Küat NV Base 2.0 online because local dealers were out of stock. It arrived in a large, heavy cardboard box. There was, as they say, “some assembly required.” Due to the heft of some of the parts, it required a second set of hands to hold things in place while the fasteners were inserted, but even I was able to get it put together and working. It was substantial, hefty, and built like it could be used on the back of a M1A1 tank!

When I mounted the rack on my SUV, I was immediately impressed with the feature that uses a hand-tightened cam to tighten the tongue that is inserted into the receiver. With that feature, there is virtually no wiggle and no annoying rattling noise like the one I experience with my trailer hitch. I can keep it on the car when not in use, and it’s so quiet I forget it’s there. The rack is secured with a lock on the pin that secures the tongue in the receiver. Both features are advantageous on emergency vehicles too.

I have found that once I set the front tire in the tire cradle, it only takes seconds to secure the bike, both front and back, with the securing arm and the rear tire strap. Releasing the bike and removing it is just as fast, assuming you haven’t used the cable lock that is built into the rack. In the Küat materials, I read that the standard and adjustable front wheel/tire cradle doesn’t accommodate “fat tires,” but Küat will provide the appropriately sized cradle if it is requested.

When transporting my bike at highway speeds, it seems as secure as can be. I remember once participating in a high-speed chase in a squad car with my police bike riding on a trunk-mounted bike rack attached with straps and the bike attached with big “rubber bands.” I kept waiting for the bike to go flying off mid-chase. I was already formulating the “Dear Chief” letter in my head! I wouldn’t have any such worries with a Küat rack. The bike seems as secure as if it was welded to the bumper.

I was also reminded that Adam Gaby, an IPMBA Instructor and Community Resource Officer with the Five Rivers MetroParks Ranger Division in Dayton, Ohio, did a review and critique of the Küat NV Base 2.0 Rack in the IPMBA News 2021 Product Guide. After reading Adam’s review, I concur with everything he wrote. The only negative I have discovered is that it is rather awkward to store when not in use, due to its weight and shape. I haven’t figured out a good way to hang it up or store it where it is out of the way but still readily accessible.

One thing that Adam didn’t mention: if your department is using e-Bikes, or thinking about using them, and you transport them on department vehicles, be aware that your current bike rack may not be rated for the additional weight of an e-Bike. The Küat NV Base 2.0 is rated to handle two bikes up to 60 pounds (27.2 kg) each, which is more than adequate for most fully-equipped public safety bikes, including an e-Bike. I think you would be hard pressed to find a better, more convenient rack to safely haul your public safety bikes, e-Bikes or not. There are a number of good reviews and videos on the Küat NV Base 2.0 available on YouTube if you’re interested.

Küat isn’t currently a participant in IPMBA’s Product Purchase Program. I’m hoping that with enough interest and requests from public safety agencies and IPMBA members, they might change that status.

Kirby retired after 28 years with Coon Rapids (MN) Police Department. He has 14 years of police bike patrol experience. A founding member and past President of IPMBA, he was co-creator of the IPMBA Police Cyclist Course and Instructor Course. He contributed to both the Complete Guide to Police Cycling and the Complete Guide to Public Safety Cycling. He can be reached at kirby@kbeckconsulting.com.

Photos courtesy Kirby Beck.

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